KCB name team of six for Africa tournament

Kenya National Chess League’s defending champions, KCB, on Friday named a team of six players and two officials who will represent the country in the 2017 African Club Champions Cup in Cairo from July 23 to August 1.

The nine-time league champions will leave the country on Sunday ahead of the tournament which is expected to attract some of the top clubs in the continent. Equity Bank will be Kenya’s second representative in the week-long competition.

The Kenya Chess Federation settled on the two bitter rivals who finished first and second in the last season’s league standings.

KCB Chess team manager Isaac Babu said the team has prepared adequately for the tournament and expects to win major honours. “We want to perform well and make the country proud in Egypt. Our squad has the best players and we stand a good chance of winning,” said Babu.

KCB’s traveling party consists of team manager Isaac Babu and Head of Delegation Martin Gichia while the playing unit will be led by team captain Ben Magana, Ugandan Harold Wanyama, Philip Singe , Jackson Kamau Joseph Methu and William Wachania.

The six have played in several Olympiads and have experience in both local and international tourneys.

The Championship will be played in accordance with FIDE regulations in round robin or rounds Swiss system. Time control will be 90 minutes for each player, with an addition of 30 seconds per move starting from move one.

The first day of the competition will start with a technical meeting in the morning before the opening ceremony at 4:30pm. Participants will have nine rounds of competition before the prize giving ceremony on July 31.

The tournament has been organised by the African Chess Confederation (ACC), the Egyptian Chess Federation (ECF) in Conjunction with Eastern Company Club.